rescheduling residential clients

JBurd

JBurd

New member
if the weather is forcing you to reschedule a residential client and you are booked for a couple of weeks do you make them top priority the next day and push everyone back, or do you schedule them a couple weeks out when your calendar is open?
 
Bad weather can be a real pain. In my opinion you need to work some overtime when this happens and get the rained out customer done as soon as possible. If you try to make them wait a couple of weeks you can probably kiss them goodbye. You can't push everyone else back either. It's easier to deal with one rescheduled or unhappy customer than to risk upsetting everyone.......just my opinion
 
They are always next in line. Either that or we put forth the effort to add them to a slower day that we had planned and fit them in as soon as possible. The problem we have is that we normally have 2-3 jobs lined up per day so that means trying to get them all taken care of. During the rainy season here in Florida and with the blazing heat and humidity, I try to only schedual work for 3-4 days during the week. (Gotta work the program. try not to let it work you.) This also gives us an extra day or 2 to play with plus Saturday if need be if the weather puts us behind.
 
I agree with the above posts. Its not the customers fault that unforseen situations pop up their ugly head. My open hours get extended if need be, but they do not take a back seat. I always tell every customer I have that the start schedule is something that could change due to things such as weather just so they are aware and they all understand.
 
I try to get them done asap because they are a valued customer and people understand bad weather can mean a delay during the bad weather but I will not make them wait a week or longer, that is not fair to them and sometimes people will not wait. I don't think it is right to make a customer wait a week or longer because of bad weather and you were scheduled for a week or longer because they will ask why it will be a week since the bad weather was only a day or so, kind of sucks to tell them that the other customers are first in line and you will have to wait because of bad weather even though you were supposed to be taken care of but the rain delayed your job but not the others.

Maybe it is just me but most of the time people understand a day or so being delayed but if the rain is only a day or two then their job is delayed a day or two, not a week or two, that is not fair to my customers and I would not try to make them wait that long.

If I had an apartment complex that was starting and rain delayed a job before starting the complex then I would try to take care of that customer either in the morning or afternoon as soon as I could and talk to them about the delay, most of the time people will understand.
 
I wash during the rain if I can. As long as there is no lightening and thunder. Once I start getting more than a week or so booked up I start collecting deposits on jobs over $500.00 which most are. Say $50.00-$100.00. Sometimes 1/2. I ALWAYS try to do an in home estimate. Never by phone if I can prevent it. Understand though that 90% of my work is done within a 10-15 mile radius. 90% of my closing is done at the dinner table because I usally am closing on more than just cleaning a house or driveway and I like building a personal relationship w my customers. Really getting to know them and excahnging phone #'s, email addresses, and getting family or friends contact info as well. This all helps in my being able to reschedule if I ever have to and the customers are usually always very flexible and don't cancel. Customers that are having a party, wedding, etc always get the favor in scheduling as opposed to those that are just wanting done as part of their regualr maintenance. I find most are not in rush unless they are having some sort of event at heir house.
 
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